Hangable packaging receptacle



E. VETTER HANGABLE PACKAGING RECEPTACLE oct. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1966 /zk Kaffe?? I Xxx Oct. 24, 1967 E. v51-TER HANGABLE PACKAGING RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1966 .w l, M fw w E, M 0, f/w MY W W A mm United States Patent O 3,348,761 HANGABLE PACKAGING RECEPTACLE Erich Vetter, Huntington, N.Y., assignor to Uniflex, Inc. Filed Sept. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 582,366 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-54) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure includes drawings and a description of a hangable packaging receptacle in the form of a Vbag of thermoplastic sheet material having a gusset along its upper edge. A hanging device in the form of a hook projecting from an elongated transverse strip is received within the gusset and heat sealed to the bag portlon along single weld lines on opposite sides of the strip.

This invention relates to packaging receptacles, and more particularly, it concerns such packaging receptacles particularly suitable for manufacture from thermoplastlc synthetic resinous materials and equipped with a unique hanging arrangement by which an article or material contained within the receptacle may be hung for display or other purposes.

In recent years, synthetic resinous materials, such as polyethvlene and vinyl films, have found acceptance in the packaging industry, particularly when converted into bags, or bag-like receptacles. In order for these materials to be competitive with other less desirable materials from a cost standpoint, however, the conversion of films to packaging units, such as bags and the like, must be effected very efficiently and with the thinnest or lightest gage film needed to support the load of contents contemplated for the package. In this latter context, problems have been experienced in providing bags, which, upon being filled, can be hung from a support, such as a display rack or the like, because of the tendency for the film material which is strong enough t-o carry a uniformly distributed load of packaged contents, to tear when subjected to concentrated stresses.

In accordance with the present invention, a unique packaging receptacle structure and method is provided by which a low-cost, bag-like receptacle of light gage thermoplastic synthetic resinous materials may be fabricated, filled and hung from an appropriate support to store or display the contents of the receptacle. To this end, a hanger device having a hook projecting from one edge of an elongated strip is secured within a gusset extending along the upper edge of a bag-like portion heatsealed along its side edges and having an open bottom to facilitate insertion of the contents. This arrangement provides a complete hermetic seal along the top and side edges of the bag While at the same time enabling uniform symmetrical support thereof from the hanger device. Also, the hanger device of the present invention, as well as the method of forming the receptacle involves features which contribute significantly to the effectiveness of the ultimate packaging receptacle.

Among the objects of the present invention are: the provision of a low-cost hangable receptacle capable of supporting its contents and protecting them against dust, moisture and the like; the provision of a bottom opening hanger bag formed completely of synthetic resinous, thermoplastic material and in which optimum weight supporting characteristics are obtained due to the uniform transmission of stresses from a hook hanger to the walls of a bag-like portion enveloping the receptacle contents; the provision of a unique hanger device for packaging receptacles; and the provision of a novel method of forming hangable packaging receptacles.

Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a packaging receptacle formed in accordance with this invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the receptacle of this invention; FIG. 3 in an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. l; FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 1; FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are schematic views illustrating the various steps in the method by which the receptacle of this invention is formed; FIGS. 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sections taken on line 8 8 and line 9 9 lof FIG. 6; and FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section taken on line 10 10 of FIG. 7, adding a schematic showing of means by which the receptacle elements are secured to one another.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, the packaging receptacle of this invention includes a bag-like portion 10 having overlying front and rear walls 12 and 14, respectively, formed of heat-fusable or thermoplastic iiexible sheet material, such as polyethylene or vinyl lms. The front and rear walls extend downwardly on opposite sides of a reverse fold 16 extending along the upper edge `of the bag-like portion 10. Also it will be noted that the front and 'rear walls 10 and 12 are secured along the side edges 18 by welding or heat-fusing the walls one to the other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the welds along the side edges 18 extend through the reversely folded portion 16 to the top edge ofthe receptacle. Hence, the reverse fold 16 defines an elongated gusset having mutually facing gusset wall portions 20 extending completely across the width of the bag portion 10. Moreover, since the four layers of sheet material or film dening the gusset are welded to each other along the side edges 18, a complete hermetic seal is formed along the top and side edges lof the receptacle portion 10.

As shown in FIG. l, the front wall 10 extends from the upper edge by a distance slightly less than the rear wall 12 so that the lower end of the rear wall serves as a tab 22 which may be folded over the front wall and sealed after being filled. Also, the provision of the tab 22 facilitates separating the front and rear walls 12 and 14 from each other at the time of filling.

To enable the bag portion 10 to hang from an appropriate rack, either for storage or on a display rack in a retail establishment, for example, a hook-type hanger, generally designated by the reference numeral 24 in the drawings, is provided. As shown, the hanger is molded from thermoplastic materials, such a polyethylene, and is of a thickness to render it rigid relative to the flexible sheet material from which the bag portion 10 is made. The lower portion of the hook hanger is provided by an elongated transverse strip 26 having embossed or roughened areas 28 along each side thereof. Projecting upwardly from the upper edge of the strip portion 26 is a tapered shank 30 on which an opened hook 32 is mounted. It will lbe noted that the shank 30 is offset to the right of the longitudinal center of the strip portion 26 as it is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. This feature enables the hook 32 to curve lover the center of the strip and thus to provide symmetric support of the strip from the hook 32. Also, the tapered configuration of the shank and the manner in which its edges merge with the upper edge of the strip contribute to a strong support.

The strip portion 26 is received centrally between the mutually facing wall portions 20 of the gusset extending along the upper edge of the bag-like portion 10, and secured in place by heat-welding both the front and rear walls 12 and 14 and the wall portions 20'against the roughened areas 2S on each side of the strip 26 In this manner, fusion of the hook 24 to the bag-like portion 10 is effected through two layers of the sheet material on each side of the strip 26. Thus it will be appreciated that an extremely strong fusion weld is provided along a path 34 throughout substantially the entire length of the strip 26. Moreover, the complete symmetry of the connection between the hook member 24 and the bag portion assures a uniform transmission of loading from the bag Walls 12 and 14 to the hook 32.

The manner in which the packaging receptacle of this invention is formed is illustrated in FIGS. through 10 of the drawings. As shown in FIG. 5, a continuous web of thermoplastic sheet material or lm is folded on a line 36 extending parallel to the longitudinal center-line of the web 35. The fold-line 36 may be displaced as desired from the longitudinal center-line of the web depending on the width of the tab 22 desired. The fold thus formed is then drawn past a creasing tongue 38 to form the reverse `fold 16-and establish the mutually facing gusset walls 20 in the region of the fold line 36.

Movement `of the web 3S throughout the steps depicted by FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9 may be continuous or intermittent depending upon the particular type of machinery employed to insert and heat-weld the hook member 24 within the reverse fold 16. In the embodiment shown, a pair of reciprocal heat-welding element 40 (FIG. 10) are employed for this purpose and accordingly the sheet material feed is interrupted during the welding of the hook member 24 within the reverse fold gusset 16. Hence, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 of the drawings, after the gusset or reverse fold 16 has been formed, the hook members 24 are inserted and the heat-sealing members actuated to fuse the outer front and rear walls 12 and 14 to the hook member strip 26 through the gusset walls 20. At the same time, or at some later time in the bag-forming process, the leading edge of the intermittently fed, continuous sheet 35 is severed along the line 42 (FIG. 7). This severing operation involves the use of a heated knife or roller in such a manner that the last-formed side edge 44 of the previously completed receptacle is heat-sealed to provide an edge wall 18 at the same time the leading side edge of the succeeding bag is severed and heat-welded. Thereafter, the web is advanced the width of one bag and the handle inserting and welding operation, as well as the edge forming operation, repeated,

Thus, it will be `appreciated that by this invention an extremely effective packaging receptacle is provided by which the above-.mentioned objects are completely fulfilled. The heat-fusing of the hook member strip portion within the gusset 16 not only facilitates a symmetric loading on the hook 32, but also, and equally as important, enables the complete upper edge of the bag to be hermetically sealed and dustproof without regard for the speciclength of the hook strip 26 relative to the width of bagportion 10. Also it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the receptacle structure, and the method of forming the receptacle, complement each other in such a manner as to achieve a receptacle having such desirable characteristics as strength and closure about three sides while at the same time enabling its formation at extremely low costs. Also, the structure of the hook member 24 facilitates an extremely important feature in packaging receptacles of this type; namely, that of enabling a completely symmetric loading of the receptacle and its contents from the hook 32 thereby avoiding abnormally stressed areas in either the hook or the bag to which it is secured so that optimum strength results in the overall receptacle.

It is contemplated that other specific forms of the invention described herein may be employed and that still others will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description given above. Accordingly, it is eX- pressly intended that the foregoing description of the invention is illustrative of preferred embodiments only, not limiting, and that the true spirit and scope of the present invention is to be determined by reference to the appended claim.l

The invention claimed is:

A packaging receptacle comprising: a bag-like portion having closed upper and side edges, said bag-like portion being formed of heat-fusable, flexible sheet material and including front and `rear walls extending in overlying relation from a reverse fold establishing the upper edge of said bagalike portion, said reverse fold also defining mu` tuallyfacing gusset wall portions extending along the upper edge from one of said side edges to the other, said front and rear walls and the ends of said gusset wall portions being fused to each other along a single weld line lying along each of said side edges, and means to suspend said bag-like portionin hanging fashion, said last mentioned `means including an elongated strip portion posi tioned between said mutually facing gusset wall portions and heat-welded to said front and rear walls through said gusset wall portions, thereby to establish a heat-weld through two layers of said sheet material on opposite sidev of said strip, and an integral hanger portion projecting upwardly from said strip portion at a point near the longitudinal center thereof, whereby the loading stress on said hanger portion is transmitted by said strip symmetrically and uniformly to said front and rear walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,128,035 4/1964 Teweles 229-54 3,132,742 5/1964 Shapiro et al 229--54 X 3,226,009 12/ 1965 Mueller 229-66 3,300,120 1/ 1967 McColgan 229-55 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,372,008 8/1963 France.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

